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Dolph Ziggler was given a short main event run during the early 2010s, and it mostly started after he won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match at the Money in the Bank event of 2012. He was a huge fan favourite by then, and WWE had no other choice but to give him a main event push.
Dolph Ziggler cashed in the Money in the Bank contract in April 2013, on the night after WrestleMania 29, on the World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio, who successfully defended his title at WrestleMania 29 against Jack Swagger. Ziggler cashed in his contract successfully and one his first World Heavyweight Championship on RAW after WrestleMania 29.
Dolph Ziggler remembers defending the MITB against John Cena
But before cashing in his Money in the Bank contract, he had a huge match at TLC 2012 where he had to defend his contract against John Cena. It is also considered one of the biggest matches of his career. Ziggler recently remembered this match while speaking with “MuscleMan Malcolm,” he explains the importance of this match;
Dolph Ziggler defeated John Cena at the mentioned event to defend his title
“I got the biggest star in the world of our company, and the guy like me who loses 99 times out of 100, and I go, I got to find something." Said Dolph Ziggler, while discussing his huge match with John Cena from TLC 2012 where he defended the MITB title. I got to find a way.
He continued, "I got to find much like Kazarian, a loophole, a weak spot on this absolute beast of a man who won’t be taken down on the mic or in the ring and I had to find something above and beyond that was outside of the box something that wasn’t in his game plan something that wasn’t in his wheelhouse and to find a way and you know sometimes it’s cheating and sometimes it’s being better I work smart not hard there’s a reason I’m going to be wrestling till I’m 75 not cuz I have to.”
Ziggler cashed it in on RAW after WrestleMania 29 successfully
John Cena dominated the most part of this match, and at the end, Vickie Guerrero came in fever of Ziggler with a chair in her hand. But AJ Lee took her out and waited for John Cena to climb the ladder and get the briefcase. When Cena climbed the Ladder, AJ Lee betrayed him and threw him off the Ladder, which allowed Ziggler to grab the briefcase and win the match.
